Republicans today rejected a Democratic maneuver to force a vote on a proposal banning so-called bump stocks or accessories designed to accelerate the rate of fire of semiautomatic rifles, such as the one used in the shooting of concertgoers in Las Vegas last year, Arizona Capitol Times reports.
HB2023 sought to expand the definition of prohibited weapons to bump-fire devices.
The motion came nearly a week after 17 people died at a shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida and as news outlets reported that President Donald Trump has directed the U.S. Department of Justice to ban the use of devices that modify rifles to be used as fully automatic weapons.
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Democrats said even though the motion was unexpected, the conversation is necessary. Republicans countered that the issue isn’t about guns or accessories, but about addressing mental health issues, Capitol Times reported.
